Cranberry-gatherer



(N0 Model.)

D. OROWELL.

CRANBERRY GATHERER.

No. 390,843. Patented Oct. 9, 1888.

llNrTn STATES DAVID CROWELL, OF YARMOUTH, lllASSAOHUSETTS.

CRANBERRY-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,843, dated October 9, 1888.

Application filed November 519, 1887. Serial No. 256,385. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID ORoWELL, of Yarmouth, in the county of Barnstable, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cranberry- Gatherers, of which the following is a descrip tion sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and [0 use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved cranberry-gatherer, a portion of the side thereof being broken away and the stripper being represented as elevated; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the stripper detached; .Fig. 3, plan views representing modifications of the comb; Fig. 4, a central longitudinal sectional view of the rear portion of Fig. 1 for reference.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to that class of cranberry-gatherers which are portable and operated by hand; and it consists in certain novel features, as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a more effective and otherwise desirable device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation.

In the drawings, A A represent the side pieces, B the end piece, and O the crossbar connecting the side pieces, these parts constituting the body of the machine. Pivoted at its rear end on a rod, :0, between the side pieces A, in front of the cross-bar 0, there is a stripper, D, consisting of the side pieces at, end piece f, cross-bars v o, and reticulated top 9.

A horizontally-arranged handle, E, is disposed centrally over the rear portion of the gatherer, said handle being supported at its forward end by a standard, t, which projects upwardly from the cross-bar O, and at its rear 50 end by two standards,Z Z, which project upwardly from the end piece B. Standards t ZZ form supports for the handle E. A lever, F, is centrally pivoted on rod d to the upper portion of the cross-bar O, the forward end of said lever passing loosely through a loop, h, at the top of the end piece f of the stripper D, and its rear end being inserted between the standards Z Z. An elongated slot, 1", is formed at the center of the lever F to receive the standard '6, said standard and also the standards Z Z serving as guides to keep said lever in proper position.

The central upper portion of the end piece Bis cut away, as shown, forming an opening, it, to permit the lever F to oscillate freely, and snrroundingthe opening thus made and in rear thereof there is a reticulated outwardlycurved guard, q, to prevent the accidental escape of the cranberries from the body of the gatherer.

Disposed on the lever F, at the rear of the cross-bar 0, there is a grasshopper-spring, H, one member of which presses against a downwardly-curved metallic plate, p, on the' under side of the handle E, said spring acting expansively to constantly depress the rear end of said lever and elevate the stripper D.

The bottom of the gatherer consists of a horizontal series of rods, J, which are arranged parallel with each other and project horizontally from the front side of the end piece B, near its lower edge, the free ends of said rods being pointed and bent slightly upward, as shown at w.

Each side of the gatherer consists of one of the side piecesA and a vertical series of rods, K, which are arranged parallel with each other and project horizontally from the frontside of the end piece B,beneath said side piece, the free ends of said rods being pointed, as shown at r. The side rods, K, are slightly longer than the bottom rods, J, and are also of unequal lengths, the upper one being longest, the next slightly shorter, and so on to the lower one, which is the shortest of the series, as shown in Fig. 1. A guard, M, is disposed between the side pieces A A, said guard being pivotally suspended or hinged by wires 3/ to the cross-bar O, and otherwise so constructed and arranged that it will be raised from the bottom rods, J, xco

by the cranberries as they pass into the gatherer, and fall by gravitation onto said rods af ter the cranberries have passed, and thereby prevent their escape.

The forward ends of the side pieces A are provided with wedge-shaped metallic cappieces a, to enable them to penetrate the vines readily, said caps being slightly curved on their forward edges.

Secured horizontally in the side pieces at of the stripper D, and extending transversely across the same, there is a rod, 9:, said rod being arranged horizontally beneath and behind thelower edge of the end pieeef, and parallel therewith. On this rod are journaled a series of buttons, 2, which are designed to separate the vines, and also to rotate as the stripper D passes over them,thereby preventing the vines from tangling and enabling the rods J K to penetrate them readily, said rod and buttons constituting a comb, N, for the stripper D.

A roller provided with a series of bosses, as shown in Fig. 3, may be employed instead of the rod n and buttons .2, if desired; or a plain roller, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used without departing entirely from the spirit of my invention in this regard, although I deem the rotary buttons preferable, as they act independent-1y of each other, and thereby adjust themselves to any inequalities of size in the vines.

In the use of my improvement thehandle E and rear portion of the lever Fare grasped in the hand and the rods J K forced into or among the vines until they pass sufficiently beneath the stripper D,when the hand is closed, thereby compressing the spring H and forcing the stripper down onto the vines, which are grasped between its comb and the bottom rods, J, after which the gatherer is withdrawn, causing the cranberries to be stripped from the vines and to fall into the rear section of the gatherer against the end piece B, in a manner which will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters withouta more explicit description.

It will be obvious that when the lever F is released, after the cranberries are stripped from the vines, as described, the spring H will automatically raise the stripper D preparatory to repeating the operation.

By constructing the lower portions of the sides of rods K, much less power is required to force the gatherer into the vines than when said sides are whole, or when the side pieces A are extended downward to the bottom of the end piece B. Gradually shortening the rods K from the upper to the lower one also enables the rods to penetrate the vines with greater ease, and prevents the lower of said rods from catching in the vines and obstructing the operations of the gatherer.

The arrangement of the lever F immediately beneath the handie E simplifies the imple ment and enables it to be used with greater ease and facility.

The curved plate 1) affords an inclined sur face against which the upper member of the spring H rests, thereby preventing the end of said member from catching on the handle E when the rear end of the pivoted lever F is raised to depress the stripper D, as described, and insuring the perfect action of the spring.

I do not confine myself to using a spring of any special form or construction, as any spring adapted to perform the functions of the spring H may be employed. Neither do I confine myself to using two standards or supports, Z, at the rear end of the handle E, nor to inserting the standard if in a slot, 2', in the lever F; nor to the use of the plate 1); nor to the use of the rod or for pivoting the stripper D.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1.. In a fruit-gatherer, the cross-bar G and longitudinal handle E, in combination with the pivoted stripper D in front of said crossbar, loop h on said stripper, lever F, centrally pivoted to said crossbar, its front arm passing loosely through said loop, and spring H between the rear arm of said lever and the handle E, all operating substantially as described.

2. In a frnitgatherer, the cross-bar G, longitudinal handle E, and vertical parallel supports Z at the rear end thereof, in combination with the pivoted stripper D in front of said cross-bar, loop h on said stripper, lever F, centrally pivoted to said cross-bar, its front arm passing loosely through said loop and its rear arm being guided between said supports Z, and spring 11 between the rear arm of said lever and the handle E, all operating substantially as described.

3. In a fruit-gatherer, the crossbar G, longitudinal handle E, and vertical parallel supportsl at the rear end thereof, and vertical standard t, connecting its front end with cross bar 0, in combination with the pivoted strip per D in front of said cross-bar, loop h on said stripper, lever F, centrally pivoted to said cross-bar, its front arm passing loosely through said loop, its rear arm being guided between said supports Z, said lever having a slot, t, through which said standard 15 passes, and spring 11 between the rear arm of said lever and the handle E, all operating substantially as described.

(t. In a fruit-gatherer, the crossbar C, longitudinal handle E, and metallic spring-plate p in the lower face of said handle, in combination with the pivoted stripperD in front of said cross-bar, loop h on said stripper, lever F, centrally pivoted to said cross-bar, its front arm passing loosely through said loop, and spring II between the rear arm of said lever and the plate 19 in handle .lG, all operating substantially as described.

5. Theimproved cranberrygatherer herein described, the same comprising the side pieces, A, rear end piece, I bottom rods, J, side rods,

K, cross-bar G, stripper D, pivoted between being arranged, constructed, and combined said side pieces and provided with a rotary substantially as described. comb, lever F, pivoted to the cross-bar C and T loosely connected to said stripper, handle E, ID OROWELL' supports therefor, spring H between said Witnesses: handle and the rear arm of said lever, and FRED. O. SWIFT, guard M, hinged to said cross-bar, the whole CAROLINE M. SWIFT. 

